As we peruse the details of another budget and anticipate the forthcoming water metering initiative, and while we complain about both, isn’t it time we took stock of the amount of water we use, and more importantly, the amount we waste.

Many of us experienced being without water during the real hard winter of 2011, something that made us realise (for a short while at least), the real value of a decent water supply.

Water is expensive to deliver. It is costing €1.2 billion every year to run the public water system, with €1 billion of this funding coming from the Exchequer.

We are reliably informed that each person consumes approximately 150 litres of water per day. That equates to almost two full bathtubs of water per person per day or 54,750 litres of water per person each year – most of which is flushed away. The average 7 minute shower uses up to 49 litres of hot water while power showers can use up to 175 litres in the same period. Brushing our teeth with the tap running uses approximately six litres of water per minute. By turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, an estimated 7,000 litres of water can be saved per year.

Even when brewing a cuppa, we tend to overfill our kettles. Using only the required amount of water each time will mean more money in your pocket and less water down the drain. Think about it!